The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 135

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 135. Fate is Woven by Heaven, Bonds are Forged by Humans (1)
A dwarf burst through the blacksmith’s forge door, kicking it wide open.
The door shattered under the impact, reduced to splinters.
Broombar’s rippling muscles began to surge and flex beneath his skin.
The clan chief’s piercing gaze—Broombar’s eyes burned with intensity.
“Listen here, Srandel.”
His words were directed at the dwarf who had just destroyed the door.
“Didn’t I warn you that if you smashed the forge door one more time, I’d break your bones?”
“Clan Chief! This isn’t about a door right now! Runesteel! Runesteel!”
Srandel shouted, his face flushed with excitement.
But Broombar paid no heed to his urgency.
“It seems you’ve been spreading common sense on your hammer instead of oil.”
Broombar strode toward Srandel with heavy steps.
He seized Srandel’s shoulder and began applying pressure with deliberate, crushing force—as if bending iron.
“Gaaahhhhh!!”
Srandel let out a scream.
Srandel’s physique and musculature were far from ordinary.
Yet beneath the clan chief’s grip, they were utterly useless.
“This is Feractrum. Even molten metal doesn’t flow without permission here.”
“Ugh, gaaahhhhh!”
“I’ll realign your bones with some common sense.”
“I-I’m sorry-!”
Crack!!!
“Gaaahhhhh!!”
Bone crunched as Srandel’s anguished cry tore through the air.
Srandel’s shoulder dislocated.
“Next time, I’ll realign every bone in your body with common sense.”
Only then did Broombar release his grip.
Srandel collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.
His face twisted in agony.
His eyes, swollen and bloodshot, turned toward Broombar.
“…Clan Chief! But the Runesteel!”
As if nothing had happened, Srandel cried out again, his face still flushed with excitement.
Broombar’s gaze lowered for a moment at those words.
“A ton of Runesteel ore has been released into the human cities-.”
One ton of Runesteel ore.
Since Runesteel was an extraordinarily rare mineral, a ton of it possessed considerable value.
Yet it was not an overwhelming quantity.
Being merely ‘ore’, it would be ruthlessly reduced during the refining and smelting process.
Especially with low-purity Runesteel ore, over 99% would be lost.
The refined Rune Iron ultimately produced amounted to no more than 0.0005%.
And when you factored in the harmful impurities?
The yield could have been nonexistent.
And yet.
“The purity exceeds 18%!!”
“…What?”
Broombar’s eyes widened in shock.
Eighteen percent purity—it was absurd.
To produce Rune Iron of such exceptional purity required the formation of an ultra-high-temperature molten state.
Beyond that, one needed mana symmetry disruption, energy interference, flawless zones, extreme temperature conditions, and countless other factors.
Multiple complex and demanding environmental conditions had to align perfectly.
In other words, it was ‘impossible’.
“18%? You’re certain?”
“I’m telling you!”
Srandel shouted with absolute conviction.
Though Srandel drank beer with concepts instead of foam, he never lied.
There was no reason for him to.
“Where did such pure Rune Iron come from? No, who? Who supplied it?”
“A merchant company run by humans—what was the name again? Ah, yes. The Predator Merchant Company!”
“The Predator Merchant Company?”
Broombar narrowed his eyes and asked again.
“Do you know who the company master is?”
“What was it? Ah, yes. I think they said Adrian Whitewolf.”
“Adrian Whitewolf…?”
Broombar’s eyes grew distant.
“Adrian Whitewolf… Adrian Whitewolf…”
“Huh? Chieftain, do you know this human?”
Broombar shook his head.
No matter how hard he thought, nothing came to mind.
Yet why did it feel this way?
The reason eluded him—
But somehow, the name felt familiar.
“Adrian Whitewolf…”
For some reason, the name etched itself deeply into Broombar’s mind.
* * *
The commercial city of Frecce.
“Please, look over this, Adrian!!!”
The auction house administrator bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
An excessively deferential posture.
Ever since I swept through the Frecce market last time, the attitude of all its citizens toward me had transformed.
However, that wasn’t the only reason for my satisfaction this time.
The one ton of Runesteel I’d just registered at the auction house.
It wasn’t a massive quantity.
But considering the rarity of Runesteel, it was hardly insignificant.
Especially not at 18.1% purity.
Even one ton was an amount that couldn’t be dismissed lightly.
‘The rumors will spread like wildfire.’
The news would reach the ears of nobles and power brokers from countless kingdoms in no time.
They’d flock to Frecce in droves, launching into fierce competition to acquire the Runesteel.
And when that happened, the Frecce auction house would reap enormous profits—from transaction fees and auction house entrance fees, to lodging, dining, and transportation services across the entire city.
Of course, I’d have to pay my own transaction fees as well….
‘But that’s nothing.’
To catch a big fish, you need to cast out bait worthy of the effort.
After all, I’d only reduced my reserves by a mere ton.
The amount of buried Runesteel remaining was—
[Stored Quantity] – 1,676,420,551 tons
Not even a scratch.
Did it even count as a reduction?
An astronomical quantity that would never run dry, no matter how much I used.
But for now, there was nothing I could do about it.
So all I could do was wait for the bites to come.
As I stepped out onto the street.
Frecce had changed quite noticeably.
And the first sight that caught my eye was particularly striking.
“Leather brought directly from Whitewolf Territory! Come take a look!”
“We have fabrics made with traditional Whitewolf Territory dyeing techniques! The colors never fade, I assure you!”
Goods from Whitewolf Territory were being traded throughout the streets of Frecce.
They were quickly establishing themselves as the Predator Merchant Company’s new specialty—following in the footsteps of monster meat.
‘It wasn’t for nothing that the Territory Quest cleared.’
But they still hadn’t broken through the Frecce market ceiling.
In other words, they weren’t yet a specialty capable of replacing monster meat.
Considering the Continent’s greatest merchant guild and the impending war with the Empire, I needed a more decisive breakthrough than what we had now.
And that was precisely because I had no intention of selling Runesteel.
What I’d put on the auction block was merely ‘bait’—nothing more.
I had no plans whatsoever to distribute Runesteel in large quantities.
I intended to use Runesteel solely as a ‘strategic resource’ for the Allied Forces.
I would release only infinitesimal amounts when necessary to maintain its scarcity, and leverage that scarcity to seize the initiative in negotiations and diplomacy—using it purely as a ‘strategic resource’.
Even if it meant forgoing astronomical sums of money….
‘I cannot allow the Empire to gain access to Runesteel.’
Runesteel was no mere commodity.
It is the core strategic resource capable of reversing the entire war.
The greatest variable that would allow the Allied Forces to achieve overwhelming superiority against the Imperial Army.
To sell such a thing merely for money?
It was no different from abandoning the war entirely.
That said, money was not without importance.
But money could be earned through other means.
Therefore, I needed a new specialty product from the Predator Merchant Company to rival monster meat.
‘Peanut wine, then.’
The peanut wine that had sparked explosive reactions at the Royal Social Society.
I headed straight for Adlern’s Shop.
* * *
Ding.
As the bell chimed, Adlern rose from his seat at the counter.
“Welcome-!”
Upon spotting me, he immediately bowed at a ninety-degree angle-.
“Are you, are you alright?!?”
Adlern came rushing over in a flurry.
His expression and face were filled with worry.
It was reminiscent of the anxiety Seraphia had shown just before we parted.
“I heard the rumors from the Battenberg Kingdom!!”
“Ah.”
I could understand the situation.
Queen Marceline had been implicated in treason and murdered.
The second prince, Blake, had been named as the culprit.
It was a major incident that had not merely stirred the nation but turned it upside down, and a merchant sensitive to information could not possibly have missed such a grave event.
Moreover, Adlern knew that I had gone to the Capital.
“I was so anxious wondering if something had happened to you, Adrian!!”
This was why Adlern trembled with worry like a ferret quaking in thunder.
But as it seemed—
‘He hadn’t heard any rumors involving me.’
Of course, only I, Seraphia, and Leon knew what had transpired at the Vanished Social Club.
The incident at the Royal Palace with Walter.
That had been buried beneath Queen Marceline’s treason and murder.
The fight with Blake that followed afterward—
‘Leon must have covered it up well.’
Indeed, Leon’s current position was such that—
—a snap of his fingers would suffice.
“How are you possibly alright?”
“I’m fine.”
More than fine—I was in exceptionally good spirits.
Because Leon had seized actual power, the future landscape of the Battenberg Kingdom would shift dramatically.
Adlern, unaware of such circumstances, simply—
“Then that’s fortunate!”
He was delighted simply because I said so.
“Has anything significant occurred during my absence?”
“Apart from the rapid political changes in the Battenberg Kingdom, nothing particularly notable… Oh! The goods from Whitewolf Territory have become quite popular in Frecce!”
Adlern’s expression blazed with excitement, like a merchant who had discovered a great treasure.
“As it happens, I’ve also signed a contract myself!”
“You as well, Adlern?”
“Yes! I happened to need new wine bottles, you see. The design was excellent and suited my needs perfectly!”
Adlern, who had developed an innovative spirit called peanut wine.
It seemed he had needed new wine bottles to match it.
That must be why the topic had come up so naturally.
“This peanut wine—what’s the price?”
“Huh? Ah, well… since it’s still a prototype, I haven’t set a price yet.”
“Then what are the production costs?”
“All things considered…”
Adlern fell into deep thought before speaking.
“Roughly 100,000 gold per bottle.”
“Per single bottle?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have dedicated production facilities. This excludes the research expenses I’ve already consumed.”
Adlern had spent every bit of the money I’d given him as compensation.
Adlern scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
I could roughly gauge what kind of trial and error he’d endured while researching alone—
“Are there other spirits in development besides peanut wine?”
“Well…”
As expected, there was indeed something else.
“I’m also researching sweet potato wine and acorn wine.”
“Sweet potato and acorn wine?”
“Yes indeed. With lower alcohol content, they feature the smooth and sweet taste of sweet potatoes, and the subtle aroma of acorns that you can experience fully.”
Adlern was far more serious about wine than I’d imagined—or rather, more passionate than I could have conceived.
“Is there anything besides wine?”
“I’m researching a budget-friendly spirit called ‘chestnut beer.'”
“Chestnut beer?”
“Exactly as it sounds—beer made with chestnuts as the primary ingredient. Not day and night, but roasted chestnuts you eat. Hehe.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m researching it with caramel and cinnamon mixed in to create a deep flavor with the nutty richness and sweetness of chestnuts.”
…That’s actually quite good.
“Moreover, chestnuts are excellent for alleviating hangovers, so you can drink as much as you like without any ill effects!”
As a budget-friendly spirit, the raw materials were inexpensive, keeping the manufacturing cost low.
Above all, it seemed increasingly likely to establish itself as a mainstream product differentiated by its unique originality.
“How much capital would be needed to complete the research?”
“At the very least….”
Adlern fell into deep contemplation.
“Five million gold would be necessary.”
“…That’s more than I anticipated.”
“Since we must redesign the entire fermentation process from scratch, we cannot utilize the existing wine production facilities….”
The labor compensation I had provided was not wasted after all.
“Whether I can earn it through sheer effort from now on remains uncertain…, but this Schönne!”
Adlern struck his chest with resounding thumps.
“I will not give up! I will absolutely achieve this dream!”
It seemed genuinely sincere.
More than sincere—it was clearly a dream for him.
I retrieved a chest of coins from my inventory.
Thud—!
Platinum coins stacked abundantly within the chest.
Adlern’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Five thousand platinum coins. A total of five million gold.”
“W-why suddenly this….”
“It’s an investment.”
“Huh?!”
Adlern leaped up as if he might faint.
And for good reason—five million gold was an astronomical sum.
It was money that could not be readily offered as investment capital, nor should it be.
Yet compared to the wealth in my inventory, it was not insignificant, but certainly a sum I could afford to invest.
Adlern’s wine possessed sufficient potential to flourish as a new specialty product.
It was not merely a matter of profit margins.
Monster meat required the Devouring [S+] ability without exception, and thus supply was severely limited.
It had certainly played a role in spreading the Predator Merchant Company’s reputation….
‘Ultimately, its limitations are clear.’
It was insufficient to serve as the flagship product for ascending to the greatest merchant company on the Continent.
Expanding the business with a new specialty product was necessary.
And Adlern’s wine possessed ample potential for precisely that.
One could see it from the very reaction of the nobles at the Royal Social Society—they had become intoxicated and even entered a frenzied state.
“How long until research completion?”
“Five years… I am estimating f-five years….”
Five years. That is quite long.
Time cannot be purchased with money.
Therefore, time is more precious than gold.
Yet there is an old saying.
If money cannot solve something, then perhaps you simply haven’t spent enough.
I withdrew an additional one thousand platinum coins from my inventory.
In other words, another chest containing one million gold.
Thud—!
“How about this?”
“W-well, if we offer a premium for research materials, it would take about four years….”
Thud—!
“W-with the latest equipment, three years…!”
Thud—!
“If we expand the support staff, parallel experiments become possible—two years…!”
Thud—!
“By hiring external specialists, one year…!”
Thud—!
“Six months! That’s the absolute limit! Even if you beat me to death, I cannot reduce it further!”
Adlern leaped to his feet in shock, trembling violently.
I was the one pouring out the gold, yet it was Adlern who shook with fear.
In any case, the total investment came to ten million gold.
The investment had doubled.
Yet the timeline could be shortened by more than half.
Most importantly, it wasn’t even my money.
I had… borrowed it from Queen Marceline and Luseria.
No, rather—seized it. Or perhaps, confiscated it.
In any case.
“Ten million gold total. We’re investing it all.”
“Kyyyiiieeeek?!?!?!?!”
Adlern shrieked like an orc being flayed, leaping into the air once more.
* * *
Feractrum, the kingdom of dwarves.
A massive stone ceiling formed the vault above, and a vast assembly hall as though the very heart of a mountain had been carved out wholesale.
At the center of the hall stood an enormous round table hewn from black granite.
Around the table sat dwarves with thick, muscular forearms, and among them—
“Chieftain, have you reached a decision?”
Breaking the weighty silence, one dwarf spoke in a low voice.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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